Windmill



. 1.1. DONNELLY.

WINDMILL.

APLlCATION FILED JAN. 2,1920. 1,387,692. Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

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1.1. DONNELLY-I WINDMILL.

APPLICATION FILED .IAN- 2.1920.

1,887,692. Patented Aug. 16,1921.

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I LLLlDClI-IHEIII INVENTog 1.1. DONNELLY.

WINDMILL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN- 2` 1920- 1.1.11 Ummm-H 1.1. DONNELLY.

WINDMILL.

APPLlcAloN HLED 1AN.2,1920.

Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

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IN V EN TOR.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. DONNELLY, 0F DENVER, COLORADO.

WINDMILL.

Application filed January 2, 1920.

TO'CLZZ whom t may concer/1i.'

Be it known that I, JOHN J. DONNELLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of Denver, and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lVindmills; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompany-- ing drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a. part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in windmills, my object being to provide mechanism of this character which shall develop great power, and which shall at the same time be comparatively simple in construction, economical in cost, and which shall require a minimum cost in repairs.

Briefly stated, my improvement consists of a horizontally disposed shaft, preferably carrying two windwheels located at its opposite extremities, and of diiferent sizes, the shaft being journaled on a turntable mounted on a central support, carried by the tower, the turntable having depending members carrying antifrictional devices which preferably engage a circumferential groove formed in a horizontally disposed stationary track, also carried by the tower of the mill. As the antifrictional devices extend laterally into the groove of the track, provision is made for balancing the turntable and maintaining the rotary structure sufficiently stable for operating purposes. The windwheel shaft has a gear centrally located and arranged in alinement with a vertically disposed rotary shaft, through which the powerof the mill is transmitted for doing work, either in the way of pumping water or any other desired work. rIhe gear carried by the windwheel shaft meshes with a pinion on the upper extremity of a shaft, whose axis is slightly out of alinement with that of the vertical shaft, the upper shaft member being connected with the upper extremity of the vertical shaft by a universal joint. The upper shaft section passes through the support upon which the turntable is mounted, beyond the axis of the support, the latter axis being in alinement with the vertical operating shaft. Hence, as the turntable moves rotatably upon its support, the upper shaft section has a slight wabble to compensate for Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1G, 1921.

Serial No. 348,844.

the fact that its axis is out of alinement with that of the vertical shaft and the axis of the turntable.

A further feature of the invention consists of a controlling vane, which extends approximately at right angles to the axis of the windwheel shaft and is provided with blades which, when the mill is regularly in operation, lie edgewise to the wind, the direction of the wind in this event being approximately at right angles to the direction of the vane. The blades of the vane are so constructed and arranged that when the wind becomes too strong, it acts to throw the blades of the vane flatwise to the wind, in which event the wind throws the mill into the out-of-gear position, or so that the axis of the windwheel shaft is approximately at right angles to the direction of the wind, and the vanes approximately in alinement with the direction of the wind. The mill will remain in this position until it is desired to return it to the normal or operating position, when the blades of the vane will be thrown to the horizontal position, or with their edges toward the wind, the wheel being also moved on its turntable into operating position, or with the axis of the windwheel shaft approximately alined with the direction of the wind.

Having briefly outlined my improvements, I will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying dra-wing, in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof. In this drawing:

Figure 1 is a view of my improved windmill, looking in the direction of the axis of the windwheel shaft.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, or a view looking in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a view looking in the direction of arrow 3, Fig. l.

Fig. 4; is a sectional view taken through the antifrictional support for the turntable, also illustrating the gearing connection between the windwheel shaft and the approximately vertical upper member of the depending shaft structure, the parts being shown on a larger scale. This section is indicated by the line 4 4, Fig. 5. l

Fig. 5 is a view looking in the direction of arrow 5, Fig. 4, the structure being shown partly in section.

Fig. 6 is an underneath view, looking in the direction of arrow 6, Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a detail view of the blade portion of the vane, looking in the direction of arrow ing from the lower surface of a turntable 10,V

carrying journal boxes 12, which are engaged by a shaft 13, carrying windwheels 14 and 15 at its opposite' extremities, which are rotatable with the shaft, the wheel 14 being the larger. These windwheels are provided with relatively stationary blades 16 and 17, the blades being so set that the wheels will rotate the shaft when the wind is blowing in the direction of the axis of the shaft, or approximately so. In this double windwheel form of construction, the larger wheel 14 is in the rear, speaking with reference to the direction of the wind when the mill is in operation.

During the rotation of the windwheels, the shaft 13 will be actuated and the power developed willl be transmitted through the medium of a bevel gear 18, centrally located on the shaft 13 and meshing with a pinion 19, fast on the upper extremity of a depending shaft 20, which is journaled as shown at 21, in a support 22, carrying rollers 23, which rest upon a stationary circular bar 24, mounted on top of the tower. In this view, two channel bars 25 are illustrated as constituting the parts of the tower to which the bearing 24 is secured. The member 22 is secured to the lower surface of the turntable 10, and rotates therewith. The shaft member 20 is journaled in the part 22, beyond the axial center of the latter, and out of alinement with the axis of the vertical shaft 26, with which the lower extremity of the shaft 2O is connected by means of a universal `joint 27. l It will thus be seen that the turntable, together with the part 22, rotates, the shaft member 2O will have a slight wabble.

As illustrated in the drawing, the turntable 10, in which the shaft 13 is journaled, is rectangular in shape, being composed of two parallel bars connected by short transverse pieces at opposite ends, as shown at 28, and intermediate their extremities, as shown at 29, the `journal boxes 12 being mounted on said transverse pieces. It is evident, however, that the precise shape of the turntable is not vital and is only specifiv cally set'forth for the purpose of indicating one embodiment of the invention.

Mounted upon this turntable, and extending beyond the circular track 6 in both directions, is a controlling vane 30, which, as shown in the drawing, consists of a main centrally loca ed member, suitably braced by parts 31 and 32, which extend upwardly from the turntable, as indicated in Fig. 3. This vane is provided at one extremity with a series of collapsible blades 33, hingedly connected as shown at 34, with horizontal projections 35, rigidly connected with upright bars 36. A movable bar 37 is also hingedly connected with all of the blades 33, as shown at 38. This bar extends downwardly below the vane and is provided at its lower extremity with an eye 39, with which is connected a chain 40, which extends downwardly, terminating in a ring 41, near enough to the ground to be reached by the person who is 'to control the mill. Pivotally mounted on one of the bars 36, as shown at 42, is a latch 43, which is adapted to engage the upper edge ofthe lowermost blade 33 of the vane when the blades are all in the vertical position, the latch being notched as shown at 44, for the purpose. Furthermore, to the lowermost vane 33 is securedv at 45 an arm 46, having a weight 47 at its outer extremity. This weight, acting on the lowermost blade, serves normally to hold all of the blades 33 in a horizontal position, or edgewise to the wind when the mill is in operation, since the .vane stands approximately at right angles to the axis of the shaft 13, so that when thel wind is blow-- ing in the direction of the axis of said shaft,

it passes freely through the blades 33. However, the lowermost blade 33 is provided with an extension 48, to which is secured a plate 49, which extends diagonally across the blade as shown at 50, and projects upwardly therefrom when the blades are in the horizontal position, thus allowing the wind to act on the relatively small area in such a manner as to have a tendency to throw the blades to the vertical position, or fiatwise to the wind. However, the weighted arm, 46, is acting against this tendency. But when the wind is relatively high and would cause the windwheels to attain great velocity, it will act upon the plate 49 to overcomeV the counterweight 47 and throw all of the blades to the vertical, or approxi.- mately vertical, position, by virtue of their connection by the arm 37.' As soon as this occurs the wind, acting on the blades 33, will swing the windwheels around so that the wind will blow approximately in the direction of the arrow 3 in Fig. 2, in which event the windwheels will cease, or practically cease, their rotary movement.

Furthermore, when it is desired to operate the mill again, the latch 43 will be disengaged from the upper edge .of the lowermost blade 33 by pulling downwardly on a chain 51. As soon as this is Vdone the weight 47 will serve to return all of the blades to the horizontal posit-ion when the windwheels may be again thrown into position to be acted on advantageously by the wind, whose direction will again be approximately at right angles to the length of the vane.

Attention is called to the fact that it is preferred that the vane shall occupy a position varying slightly from that at right angles to the axis of the shaft 13, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The object of this is to cause the wind, when the mill is out of gear and the wind is blowing in the direction indicated by the arrow 3, to act upon the blades 33 of the vane on the left-hand side (see Fig. 2), for the purpose of counteracting the tendency of the turntable to move in the direction indicated by arrow t (see Fig. 2), by virtue of the fact that the windwheel 14 on the right is larger than the windwheel 15 on the left.

It will be understood that in the absence of a vane there would be a tendency when the windwheels are in the position shown in Fig. 2 and the wind is blowing in the direction indicated by arrow 3, for the turntable to move around in the direction indicated by arrow a by virtue of the fact that the windwheel 14 would offer more resistance to the wind than the windwheel 15. Hence the extremity of the vane carrying the blades 33 is moved slightly nearer the windwheel 15 than the windwheel 14.I so that the resistance offered to the wind by the windwheel 15, plus the resistance offered by the vane due to its deflection, will just equal the resistance offered by the larger windwheel and maintain the mill out of gear until the operator desires to return it to the working position.

From the Jforegoing description, the use and operation of my improved windmill will be readily understood. Vhen in operation it may be assumed that the wind is blowing in the direction indicated by arrow Z) in Fig. 3, and that the blades 33 of the vane 30 are edgewise thereto, and that the wind is not of sutiicient force acting on the plate 49 to overcome the tendency of the weight 47 to maintain the plates in such edgewise position.

Assuming however, that the wind increases to such a velocity that the wheels will be operated at a dangerous speed, the force of the wind acting on the plate 49 would overcome said tendency of the weight 47 and throw the blades 33 to the vertical or approximately the vertical position, where they will be held by the latch 43, whose notched end 44 will engage the upper edge of the lowermost blade for the purpose. The wind will then act to throw the windwheels around vSO that their edges only will be presented to the wind, whose direction will then be indicated by the arrow 3, in Fig. 2, when the slightly deiiected position of the vane, coperating with the smaller windwheel 15, will maintain the mill in the inoperative position until such time the operator desires to change such position, as heretofore indicated.

It will be understood that during the rotary action of the turntable in shifting the mill from the operating to the inoperative position, and vice versa, the depending antifrictional device 3, connected with the turntable, as heretofore explained, will engage the groove 7 of the track 6 and maintain the turntable in approximately the horizontal position.

During the operation of the mill, the power will be transmitted from the windwheel shaft 13 through the gears 18 and 19, and the wahble shaft member 2O to the vertical shaft 26, which will be rotated and may be connected with suitable mechanism at its lower extremity for doing work of any description, as will he readily understood.

It should also be explained that in order to maintain the structure in the properly balanced position, notwithstanding t-he fact that the blades of the vane extend a considerable distance beyond the peripheries of the windwheels, the opposite extremity of the vane is provided with a counterweight 52 of such mass as to balance the bladed extremity of the vane, the weight 52 being composed of metal and therefore relatively small in bull: as compared with the opposite bla-ded extremity of the vane.

I claim:

1. A windmill, including a rotary horizontal shaft, two windwheels of different size, fast thereon and spaced from each other, a vane extending across the shaft between the wheels and having a controlling member deflected toward the smaller wheel for balancing purposes when the direction of the wind is between the wheels.

2. A windmill, including a rotary horizontal shaft, two windwheels of different size fast thereon and spaced from each other, a vane extending across the shaft between the wheels and having a controlling member deliected toward the smaller wheel on the leo side when the direction of the wind is between the wheels.

3. A windmill including a rotary horizontal shaft, two wind wheels of different size fast thereon and spaced from each other, a vane having a controlling member defiected toward the smaller wheel for balancing purposes when the direction of the wind is between the wheels.

4. A windmill including a rotary horizontal shaft, two wind wheels of different size fast thereon and spaced from each other, a vane having a controlling member defiected toward the smaller wheel on the lee side when the direction of the wind is between the Wheels.

5. A windmill having a rotary shaft, two

5 spaced wheels fast thereon, and a Vane eX- tending orosswise of the shaft and provided with'a bladed controlling member at one eX- tremty and e oounterbalance weight at its opposite extremity the blades of seid membei' being movable from open to closed posi- 10 tion when the wind attains a, high velocity.

In testimony whereof I a'HiX my signature.

JOHN J. DONNELLY. 

